Happy Hobbit Day!

Today, September 22, marks the birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, important characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books. As a complete and utter book geek, I cannot let the day pass without comment or celebration.

I’ve been pouring through my Lord of the Rings and Shire themed cookbooks (yes, I have several!) for weeks trying to decide on the perfect recipes for today (and for our upcoming weekend celebration with family), because like any self-respecting hobbit, I know the most important part of a celebration is the food!

Celebrating a Simple Life

Though I tend to be one of those people who overthinks things and always wants everything to be just so (which combined with my procrastinating tendencies can make things interesting!), I realize that kind of defeats the purpose of celebrating a hobbit way of life.

Hobbits appreciate the simple things in life and take things as they are. Solid nourishing fare, good company and a slow day of comfort and appreciation are what the folk of the Shire value.

I often find myself rushing around, trying to do ALL the things and make sure they’re perfect, which can lead to me missing out on the actual enjoyment of the day, whether it’s a special event or just a simple day at home with my toddler. Sometimes I need to remind myself that it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t always accomplish everything I think I should, and that things don’t always have to be perfect.

After all…”It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.”

Live Like a Hobbit

So, I hope that whatever you are up to this Hobbit Day (and the first official day of autumn), even if you’re not celebrating or even aware of the geeky ramifications, that you remember to slow down and enjoy an hour, the day, the week, whatever you can. At least for a little while, try to live like a hobbit.